Free checklist
Rooftop solar PVRooftop solar PV final inspection checklist
Rooftop solar PV final inspection is where the punch list is either short or expensive. This checklist walks the finished work the way an owner or AHJ will see it: devices on, systems running, everything labeled. Each item gets the photo that closes it instead of reopening it. Work is commonly verified against NEC (NFPA 70), the applicable building code, manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 7
- Photos required
- 15
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The install crew lead with the electrician, and the GC's superintendent for the walk before commissioning.
When in the schedule
After all modules are set and the electrical is terminated, at the commissioning and energization visit before the array is turned over.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo that proves it
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Copy the list as is, or load it into RTI and let the gate enforce it.
Modules and mechanical
- 2 photos
Modules seated and clamps torqued to spec
Every module fully seated in the clamp, clamps torqued with a calibrated tool to the module and rail maker's value, marked after torque.
- 2 photos
No module damage on the finished array
Glass free of cracks, chips or pressure marks; backsheet and frames undamaged; no footprints or point loads across the field.
Grounding and wiring
- 2 photos
Grounding and bonding continuous across the array
Bonding jumpers, lugs or listed clips at every rail and module per the system, equipment grounding conductor landed, continuity confirmed end to end.
- 2 photos
Wire management holds conductors off the roof
Home runs and module leads clipped to the rack with listed clips or trays, drip loops formed, no conductors resting on or dragging the roof.
- 2 photos
Conduit, combiner and inverter connections complete
Conduit fully supported and sealed at transitions, combiner and inverter terminations torqued, covers on, no open knockouts.
Rapid shutdown and energization
- 2 photos
Rapid-shutdown function and labeling in place
Initiation device installed and reachable, module-level shutdown devices present, placard and directory labels legible at the disconnect and inverter.
- 3 photos
Commissioning and energization observed and documented
System brought online with the crew present, inverter status and string readings recorded, the commissioning record photographed.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Module clamps run down by hand or an uncalibrated driver, so torque was assumed rather than set to the clamp maker's value.
- Conductors zip-tied straight to the rail with no drip loop, left to sag onto the roof membrane where they abrade in the wind.
- Rapid-shutdown labeling and the initiation device installed, but the shutdown function never actually triggered and watched at the modules.
Run it with the Photo Gate
A checklist nobody can submit half-finished
Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 15 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.
Submission state
The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.
Verified against
Common questions
- What does this rooftop solar pv final checklist cover?
- 7 items across 3 sections, covering modules and mechanical, grounding and wiring, rapid shutdown and energization. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
- Who should run this inspection?
- The install crew lead with the electrician, and the GC's superintendent for the walk before commissioning.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- After all modules are set and the electrical is terminated, at the commissioning and energization visit before the array is turned over.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 15 of the 7 items call for photo evidence. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
- What most often fails a rooftop solar pv final inspection?
- Module clamps run down by hand or an uncalibrated driver, so torque was assumed rather than set to the clamp maker's value. Conductors zip-tied straight to the rail with no drip loop, left to sag onto the roof membrane where they abrade in the wind. Rapid-shutdown labeling and the initiation device installed, but the shutdown function never actually triggered and watched at the modules.
- Can I use this checklist in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident audit trail.
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